Modeling Journey

Mariano Vivanco photographed Daria Strokous for the August 2011 cover of Russian Vogue on June 4-5, 2011 with stylist Ekaterina Mukhina.

August 2011 Russian Vogue Cover Preview
Model: Daria Strokous
Photographer: Mariano Vivanco
Stylist: Ekaterina Mukhina
Producer: Elena Serova
Makeup: Alexey Molchanov
Hair: Karin Bigler

Cover preview can be seen at: The Fashion Spot

Born on the 4^th of September 1987, Belarus-native Maryna Linchuk is one of fashion’s best kept secrets.

Signing up with DNA Models in 2006, Maryna got her first editorial that September with Harper’s Bazaar. A quick starter, Maryna also made her runway breakthrough, walking for designers such as Catherine Malandrino, D&G, Elie Saab, Givenchy, Marchesa and Versace.

Shooting her first Vogue cover in November, Linchuk’s unstoppable progress continued with runway bookings for couture shows in January 2007, walking for both Givenchy and Valentino. Maryna experienced another career high the same month with an Italian Vogue editorial, photographed by Steven Meisel.

In September, Maryna got to open and close the ready-to-wear show for Helmut Lang, appearing in 43 shows overall. Finishing the year with another appearance in Italian Vogue, Maryna’s groundwork resulted in a seriously impressive pay-day. In early 2008, she was signed to front five campaigns, including Belstaff and Mulberry.

In April 2008, Maryna got the backing of French Vogue when they featured her as a top model. French Vogue is particularly good at supporting modelling talent, with Isabeli Fontana and Lara Stone among their favourites. Every Vogue has its own in-house style: Italian Vogue highlights the boldest and newest design influences; American Vogue channels classic elegance and sporty silhouettes, and Russian Vogue favours old-Hollywood style glitz and glamour. Where French Vogue has laid down its colours is in making daring, atmospheric editorials that reference their proud cinematic history. Skim through its pages and you’ll see every French master represented, from Jean-Luc Godard to Francois Truffaut.

This type of work requires a very special kind of model to bring the ideas to life. Striking the right tone is everything, and this takes serious skill. French Vogue needs models who can take a performance down to the finest detail, and Maryna’s instincts, already tested by some of the toughest in the business, were already proving to be world-class.

Following a summer of editorial work for American Vogue, Maryna was again profiled as a top model, this time by Russian Vogue. At this point in her career, Linchuk was still a relatively unknown name, but the support she was getting from fashion’s most prolific magazines was showing the industry at large that she was a talent not to be underestimated.

In September 2008, Maryna filled her runway CV with names such as Alexander Wang, Gucci, Derek Lam, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Rag & Bone, Stella McCartney and YSL. Her continued success on the runway got the attention of casting agents looking for a new face to front a campaign ad. Linchuk was signed to represent Christian Dior’s fragrance ‘Miss Dior Cherie’. Launched in 2005, the perfume was intended to be an accompaniment to Dior’s iconic ‘Miss Dior’ perfume, introduced in 1947.

Maryna’s signing saw a new approach to the marketing of Dior Cherie. Hiring director Sofia Coppola fresh from her historical biopic ‘Marie Antoinette’, the film presenting Dior Cherie was a heady confection of girlish sophistication and sorbet shades with Brigitte Bardot on soundtrack. With Maryna modelling a ruffled, cerise gown from the couture vaults, the advert is a master-class in bridging old-world sophistication with modern joie de vivre, and it made the perfume an immediate hit.

Maryna’s year just kept getting better, being approached to appear in the annual Victoria’s Secret show. Victoria’s Secret offers the ultimate challenge to models used to the world’s biggest runways. Getting that ready mix of fun and sex appeal is the very reason why the brand has become such a huge name in the States. Maryna’s ability to be at ease in such a new environment made her an instant favourite, being re-booked for both 2009 and 2010.

Adding Armani Prive to her couture CV in July 2009, Maryna made it onto the pages of American Vogue in November, appearing in ‘After Hours: Fashion’s Big Night Out’. Shot by Patrick Demarchelier, it was an extraordinary roll-call of fashion’s brightest modelling talent. From Alek Wek to Raquel Zimmermann, every model of note was featured, and that included Maryna.

Beginning 2010, Linchuk signed up to take part in another couture show for Dior. This time, the theme was equestrian chic. With riding crops and lace veils, the show made headlines, not only for its dressage theme but the way it put couture firmly back in the saddle. One year on, despite all the gloomy predictions for its future, haute couture still thrives, thanks to a new customer base, with serious money to spend.

Maryna also got the chance to work in untried territory, when picked to model for Derek Lam’s A/W campaign. Only a year into producing campaigns, Lam didn’t have the luxury of a huge back-catalogue of images to fall back on. For example, we all get the Prada ‘message’: eclectic, quirky and cerebral. Making a new set of images, creating that message from scratch, is a huge responsibility, not least for the model. Get the tone wrong, and the campaign will struggle to make a connection with the public. Maryna’s success in making Dior Cherie such a huge hit has made her significantly viable in terms of fronting campaigns.

Finishing off the year with a cover for Turkish Vogue, Maryna returned in January 2011 with another cover for German Vogue. Maryna, head-to-toe in pink, feathered couture is hard to miss. The choice of colour is unlikely to be a coincidence as her long association with Dior Cherie has made her a high-fashion purveyor of pink, a shade that’s been reclaimed by the industry after years in the fashion wilderness. Its revival, at Burberry and Chanel Couture for A/W 2011, allows it to take centre stage in a season that will be awash with colour. Pink – in its vibrant, punchy guise – has been given a second chance to wow the fashion crowd, and its charm offensive looks to be paying off. Some might argue whether pink has ever really gone away, but this type of pink is an entirely different animal. Brave and bold – it’s pink with attitude.

Linchuk has begun 2011 returning as a face for Dolce and Gabbana. Taking her lessons from French Vogue, Maryna manages the Italian cinematic style effortlessly. Filling the early part of the year with work from Russian and German Vogue, Maryna returns this autumn to reprise her role for Dolce & Gabbana. Working this year’s big theme of texture – in every possible variation – she features alongside Isabeli Fontana, Liu Wen, Constance Jablonski and Jac.

Already tipped to be one of the big hitters of the A/W season, Maryna’s link with Dolce & Gabbana is already poised to be an association that will reap major rewards as the year continues. Her success boils down to the fact that she is the type of model the industry loves: high-street, sportswear, lingerie, RTW, couture – there’s no aspect of the fashion industry Linchuk’s career hasn’t covered.

The recognition of Maryna’s hard work – the covers, the high-status campaigns – are just fashion’s way of acknowledging what designers have known all along. Maryna has outrun the trend for Russian / Eastern-European models to become fashion’s ‘everywoman’. Her appeal has transcended passing fads to create a career that is truly global. From Dior and Dolce in Europe, to winning over the Americans on the Victoria’s Secret runway; Maryna has become expert in making herself a must-hire all across the world.

As we move into a new decade, not only has the pace of growth changed, but where that cash is being spent. In 2005, Russia’s contribution to the fashion industry was in supplying new faces: Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, Natalia Vodianova to name just three. But the balance has shifted to find Russia supplying fashion with some of its most loyal and high-spending consumers, and Russian Vogue joins Italy, France, America and Britain to become one of the most important publications in fashion today.

Those who are spending are choosing to spend big. The exuberance of colour and detail on this season’s runways is more than a collective sigh of relief: a label being thankful they have survived the worst of the storm. The details tell a bigger picture of an industry heading into new territory: geographically, financially and creatively. By becoming more inclusive, the fashion industry is opening itself up to new influences, creating a message that’s truly exciting.

Where Maryna slots into this is her wealth of experience in working in fashion’s new territories such as Russia, China and Japan. Her skills honed at editorial level makes her not only a valuable asset right now, but her profile will grow and develop, making her a name to watch. To be a good translator, you need to speak the language and Maryna’s familiarity with all things fashion has made her effortlessly fluent. Maryna’s triumph in being able to translate into every market makes her a truly modern model.

HELEN TOPE

Born in Canada on May 7^th 1991, Anais Pouliot is set to make the transition from catwalk to campaign this year, emerging with the potential to become one of the most striking beauty faces to hit the industry in years.

Discovered at the age of 14, Pouliot signed with Trump Models in 2007. Later that year, Anais scored her first campaign, working for See by Chloe.

Pouliot didn’t make her runway debut until February 2010, walking for John Rocha, Betty Jackson, Lacoste, Miu Miu, Peter Jensen, Twenty8Twelve and William Tempest. Working with some of the most talked-about young designers in the business, Anais made a great first impression, walking in Paris for Miu Miu as an exclusive.

In June 2010, Anais modelled for the resort presentations for both Miu Miu and Prada in New York. Resort shows are fast becoming more than appetisers to the main Spring / Summer and Autumn / Winter events. The fashion industry is beginning to realise that the four seasons are not as clearly defined as they once were. Trans-seasonal clothes that bridge summer to autumn, winter to spring, are selling incredibly well. The provenance of the layering trend can be traced back to the need for fashion that can accommodate rapidly-changing temperatures. It’s paved the way for a looser feel when it comes to trends, explaining why airy, translucent white is being featured in the A/W 2011 collection for YSL, and how lightweight tweed jackets inspired by Isabel Marant are selling all year round. As our weather gets more extreme, fashion’s adapting by being freer with its once hard-and-fast rules.

Anais’ breakthrough season occurred in September 2010. Working in 36 shows, she walked for established names such as Chanel, D&G, Marni, Prada and YSL, plus newer labels such as Christopher Kane, Holly Fulton, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Som and Versace’s newly-revamped diffusion line, Versus.

Pouliot’s striking appearances on the runway circuit got her noticed by magazines, and in November Pouliot had her first major editorial, appearing in W. Photographed by Paolo Roversi, the editorial named ‘Family Circus’, was an epic winter fantasy starring Lindsey Wixson, Arizona Muse and Britt Maren. Ethereal and downright gorgeous, it was a perfect starting point for Anais.

In February 2011, Pouliot’s editorial career went international, with a spread in Japanese Vogue. Appearing almost bare-faced, Pouliot’s confidence is unflinching. Anais’ gift for taking a great beauty shot pegged her as a potential face for big-money campaigns. Also featuring on the S/S 11 cover of French Revue de Modes, Pouliot pulled another trick out of the hat, appearing in avant-garde florals. Anais was compelling the industry to think of her not only as a potential beauty headliner, but someone who can handle new design.

In April, Pouliot appeared in Russian Vogue, photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth. Featured in electrifying Armani Prive, the shoot called for a high-glamour affinity with couture, but with an element of fun. Pouliot captured the essence of ‘girl on the town’ brilliantly: flirty, sexy but definitely chic.

The following month, Anais appeared in German Vogue. The editorial, ‘Uber-Sinnlich’ (which roughly translates as ‘supernatural’), featured Anais in an exquisite beauty shot. With her beauty literally shining through a heavily-jewelled veil, the photo is a masterstroke, revealing Pouliot’s ability to command your attention.

This month, Anais appears in Russian Vogue and turns her hand to working the smoulder. Working sex-appeal in editorials requires razor-sharp instincts. You need to convey seduction, but the wrong angle or the overplaying of a facial expression can turn seduction into parody all too easily. The line between silly and sexy is wafer-thin, and remarkably quick to cross.

Anais’ confident handling of the shoot, in Gucci’s S/S 11 collection whose heady Seventies glamour has become one of the summer’s most popular looks, points to a model who is not easily phased. A model with a poker player’s nerve is a model tipped for greatness.

Sure enough, Anais’ work on the runway and for some of the world’s most respected magazines has culminated in a booking with serious star-making potential. Earlier this month, pictures of the A/W 11 campaign for Louis Vuitton were previewed by WWD. Photographed by Steven Meisel, Anais works with Daphne Groenveld, Zuzanna Bijoch and new British modelling hopeful, Nyasha Matanhodze. The theme is military glamour, playing allure against discipline.

The signing with Vuitton marks a massive rise in status for Pouliot. The French label, now steered by Marc Jacobs, has a well-won reputation for producing some of the most striking images each season. Just these few teaser images are enough to give you an indication of what to expect this autumn. Neutrals working side by side with block-brights, bring the best of last winter and this summer to make what has the potential to be an incredible season.

The rise of Anais through the modelling industry charts how glamour and beauty are making a comeback. The latest beauty ads to emerge: Arizona Muse for YSL, Lara Stone for Tom Ford and Jac Jagaciak for Chanel all have one thing in common. The images may waiver between wholesome and wanton, but they all chronicle beauty that’s recognisable and readable, not just to the fashion industry, but to us as well.

Beauty ads are all about the face – seems an obvious point to make, but with little else to showcase, every ounce of meaning has to count. Although Pouliot is a fashion girl, it’s clear that her strength is being able to take a great close-up. It is this ability to grab our attention that makes Anais a fairly safe bet when it comes to figuring out which faces will become fashion’s next big-hitters. Pouliot’s traditional type of beauty is a surprisingly good fit with high-fashion. Going from haute-couture glamour to edgy florals, Anais never looks out of place – no mean accomplishment for a model endowed with a face that looks like it came from another century. Pouliot’s old-world, painterly type of look makes her curiously modern. In an industry filled with models that run from tomboy to sexpot, there’s not many names that can step and fill that niche for prettiness.

The idea of a model that’s objectively ‘pretty’ does seem at odds with everything we’ve learned about the fashion industry. But this swing from quirky and cool to gently feminine is symptomatic of a wider move. Whether you chalk it up to the Middleton effect, or bigger economic influences, the rising mood of the moment is ‘real-girl’ fashion. Knee-high boots, petite florals and white cigarette jeans are all flying out of the shops, but they are noticeably missing from this season’s runway.

We’ve been happily delving into trends for the past decade – harem pants, asymmetry, platform heels – we’ve worn the lot, experimenting with shapes and colour to our hearts’ content. But there’s been a tide change, with tastes visibly moving towards the conservative. Simpler silhouettes and lower hemlines have returned – they are a reaction to fashion’s desire to shock, but not from the direction you might expect.

The literal opposite of neon and tribal print jumpsuits would be full-on minimalism. But instead beauty is making a power-play for control of our wardrobes because it offers a viable alternative to fashion’s wilder, experimental side. For the past few years, fashion has been devoted to challenging us to wear new shapes, textures and colours. While this is fashion at its purest, encouraging us to be braver and bolder, it has left a gap in the market for the days when you just want to look good and feel good with minimal effort required. Even the urban uniform that has evolved from designers such as Rick Owens, The Row or Zadig & Voltaire, requires an awareness of how to layer different fabrics and what boots work best with leather leggings. It certainly looks good when done right, but it can’t beat jeans and a t-shirt for ease of use.

What’s developing is a movement aimed at catering to people who want a look in three moves or less. But this emerging trend isn’t about indulgence, but something that’s grounded in a real fashion literacy that’s all about the detail. Those white cigarette jeans may not be ultra high-fashion, but look closer and they will be from a brand such as MiH or Citizens of Humanity. No-one likes to be left of the loop and this new trend for prettiness is fashion by stealth. The ingredients are all there – they’ve just been mixed a little differently.

Anais’ growing career is part and parcel of this very movement – her height allows her to do runway, but her face is her unique selling point. Fitting fashion’s interpretation of ‘pretty’ is a rare gift. Too much ‘girl next door’ and you’re better off finding work in the lingerie / Sports Illustrated mould. Too left-field and you risk your looks not translating in big-brand cosmetic campaigns.

The beauty that Pouliot represents is an able translator because it works with high-fashion, not against it. Now that fashion’s relaxed the rules, it’s a whole different game. Playing with a portfolio that’s anything but simple, Anais demands you take a closer look.